McNeely earns academic award

Monday

The fact that Alexandria “Alex” Victoria McNeely of Miami High School has been selected as a recipient of the 2008 Academic All-State award is probably not a surprise to those who know her.

McNeely, daughter of Jackie and Nancy McNeely of Quapaw, was one of the state science fair winners as a junior. Among the many awards she received, her project was shown at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Albuquerque, N.M., in May.

In her senior year of high school, she’s taking six accelerated program or college-level classes and still has a 4.0 grade point average.

She received a 32 on her American College Test (ACT).

To be nominated for Academic All-State, students must meet one of the following criteria: an ACT composite score of at least 30, a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) combined critical reading and math score of at least 1350 or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship.

She was one of 100 top public high school seniors selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence for the award. She was among 512 nominations of students from 72 different schools in 62 Oklahoma school districts.

The 2008 Academic All-State class is the 22nd to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Since the award program’s inception in 1987, some 2,200 high school seniors from 288 school districts have been named All-State scholars.

Each of this year’s class will receive a $2,000 scholarship and a medallion at the foundation’s 22nd annual banquet on May 17 in Tulsa.

Unfortunately, McNeely will not be one of the attendees.

“I won’t be able to get my medallion in person because it’s the same night as graduation,” McNeely said, with a shrug.

David L. Boren, chairman and founder of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, describes the selection of the scholars as “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic competition.”

The selection committee is composed of business, education and civic leaders and chaired by Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Marian P. Opala. It works independently of all other foundation activities.

This is the fifth year in a row that Miami High School will be able to display the Academic All-State flag, an annual honor bestowed by having an award-winning student.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.